Moulding Plane: Sharpening
Posted 18 July 2014
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Do you have a moulding plane you’ve picked up or been given but you’re not sure where to start with sharpening it? Paul shows how he would sharpen the blade whilst maintaining the profile to get the moulding plane sharp and ready to go.
Great much needed is this one. Thanks to Paul and the team for this one. Good job guys 😉
yes I have a lot of these planes and to know how to sharpen then was good to find out.
Thanks, I have been buying moulding planes here and there. This video is very helpful and answer a few questions I had.
I still have one that clogs up every stroke, in other words, the waste wood is becoming trapped by the wedge in between the top of the wedge and the wall of the plane instead of being ejected out the side. I have tried to adjust the profile of the wedge to work better (it was broken off when I got it). Is there a common shape to the point of the wedge (angle?) that would commonly accepted has a starting point and work well?
Thanks again.
Check your profile again. If the profile of the iron isn’t the same as the wooden part, you tend to have too much iron exposed. Otherwise it won’t cut. (The high spots of the iron don’t match up to the high spots of the plane, so the high spots of the plane end up acting as depth stops.) With too much iron exposed, you cut too big of a chip which ends up choking the plane. This can happen on planes just from use. As you plane, the high spots in the iron wear down faster, and the plane only cuts a little bit then stops cutting. This is only ONE reason for choking, and I may not have described it properly. It’s easier to see in a diagram…
Working with wood is scary.
You help.
I use a slightly different approach I create a profile with the moulding plane and then I spray some adhesive on the back of the sand paper which I glue it on the moulding I just created. Then I simply just run the blade along it and in no time it is pristine sharp.
That’s a superb idea!
I haven’t bought any molding planes yet but want to get a few. This is a very helpful video as I wondered how difficult sharpening would be, the way you showed and explained it should be very easy to do.
Thanks for this Paul !
Steve
Hellow steve
If you are new to planes I would suggest you get a holow and round pair. See thay are a pair and not just two odd planes.
You will be amazed at how many shapes you can make with one pair . I would look for a half in. pair to start . H&R are normanley a set or half set a half set has 18 planes to it.
Thanks again for yet another very useful video. The flat file will cut even if the blade is hardened or are blades like this usually not hardened?
Paul:
Please continue to teach. Don’t retire, or at least until you are 135 yrs. old.
Perfect time. What an awesome birthday gift!!! Nice little surprise Specially since I just got a new book on making moldings. Thanks so much Paul for all that you do and all the
free-bes you through our way!!!!
I have a couple of Moulding Planes and wondered how to sharpen them, now i do thanks Paul.
Paul is not just a teacher, he is a very generous teacher, sharing his know-how and experience freely. Thank you.
After making my first set of H&R which cut like champions and just receiving the raw irons for #4s, #10s, and #16s along with the 8/4 Qs beech the slope continues to steepen. I liken Moulding planes to fine wine. No noise no dust just introspective time.
Now I think I understand molding .Thank you for this.
Thanks for this one Paul. That these tools can still work so well after maybe 200 years makes you stop and think. It’s great to know how to look after them properly.
Thanks Paul for all the free stuff. Great video as always.
I would love to learn how to make a moulding plane; please teach this.
Thanks Paul – I was wondering how to sharpen up sone moulding planes I inherited!
One question: how do you deal with cutting against the grain with moulding planes? You can’t turn them round! Do you just have to clean up any teatout with sandpaper?
Paul excellent video. This clears up a few questions I had regarding molding planes. Thank you. If you ever feel like it, perhaps a video on making some molding would be possible. Molding planes are cool.
Paul,
So I have a sharp moulding plane now that will put a nice edge treatment on my table tops. My question is do you add the edge treatment early in the project or later? I’m leaning towards earlier in case I make a mistake but wanted to ask in case there is a sequence.
Thanks and great timing as moulding planes are more rewarding than an electric router table and much safer.
JASON
Trial first on scrap and if all seems well go to your project. Early seems fine.
Hello Paul,
Thanks a lot again for this episode, concerning the stick you’re talking about around the18 th minute, i’d like to know in which angle it is towards the moulding profile. It doesn’t quite seem to be a right angle, is it ? Whilst planing, do you only incline it in the beginning and take it down to level after ? It’s a part I don’t quite get to see (or understand). I got some moulding irons and would like to start off making the planes for them. Here, on the continent and especially in Germany, we have these “heavy duty- façon bunker-planes”. In comparison those slightly out of square angles, feel much more natural anyway.
thanks again for sharing your knowledge in such a kind manner.
Caerlynn